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Cole, the daughter of veteran performer Nat King Cole, died
aged 65 on Dec. 31 of a rare lung disease that led to heart
failure.
Music filled the service on Monday, with Stevie Wonder playing
the harmonica and singing the Lord's Prayer. Mourners including
Gladys Knight, Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson, who called
Cole "my friend, my buddy and many times my confidant" also
honored the singer with a standing ovation.
"As much as I stood in awe of her artistry which ran so deep,
when I think of her today I realize that it's her friendship
that I will miss the most," music producer David Foster said.
Cole's family last week said the singer had been diagnosed with
idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension five years ago after
a successful kidney transplant in 2009.
She had undergone the operation after being diagnosed with
hepatitis following a period of drug abuse. The jazz, pop and
soul singer, whose career spanned five decades, then returned to
perform around the world.
Known for songs such as "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" and
"I've Got Love On My Mind", her biggest hit was a virtual duet
with her late father of "Unforgettable".
(Reporting By Reuters Television in Los Angeles; Writing by
Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
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